The 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. Ford is now offering what is essentially a bulked-up Focus, but with a hybrid drive train. It’s called the C-Max and, when you come down to it, it functions pretty well as an all-around people-and-things hauler, but it will not win any beauty contests.

Given that the C-Max costs a shade over $30,000, you are undoubtedly doing the math to see if the fuel economy is worth paying extra. Let’s say you looked at a Ford Focus Titanium five-door hatchback, the top-of-the-line non-hybrid Focus, with a price of $24,200. The C-Max, according to Ford’s EPA numbers, gets 47 mpg. But, and this is a serious but, Ford and others (Hyundai and Kia come to mind) have been criticized of late for inflated mileage claims. I averaged 35.6 miles per gallon in my session with the C-Max.

Photo: Copyright 2011

Given that the C-Max costs a shade over $30,000, you are...

Given that the C-Max costs a shade over $30,000, you are... Photo-4310935.58219 - SFGate

What do you get with the C-Max, compared to the Toyota Prius V wagon, possibly the C-Max’s closest competitor? The C-Max, to my mind, is more of a car. First off, it feels quieter and somehow more substantial than the Prius V I’ve ridden in (I haven’t driven one yet).